"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

Points to Ponder ...

"My children may bicker, and I may—almost certainly will—complain. But the bickering and the griping are chaff, and what’s left when the winds of time carry them away are the golden kernels I want to savor..."
--Melissa Wiley

July 25, 2008

"Live the Life You're Trying to Save."

That's one of the sayings my indomitable sister mentions, that doesn't fail to bring tears to my eyes.

Because I am so incredibly proud of her.

Two weeks ago, my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had her first round of chemo yesterday, and far from being beaten down, she's determined to beat this thing. If having a life-giving attitude and a genuine concern for others is the key to success, she's already got this one in the bag. (She had her PET scan the day before, and called here on her way to chemo to see how my husband is doing, letting him know that she'd spent the entire scan praying for the success of his back surgery, which had been going on at about the same time.)

I haven't wanted to say too much about this here, since this is not really about "me," and the details of my sister's life are, of course, not a subject for
public reflection in this forum; but breast cancer awareness certainly
is. It's amazing how different it is to look at it from this angle -- up close and personal.

One of the things that keeps taking my breath away as I talk to my sister -- other than her amazing attitude; I think I missed that gene -- is how much the doctors already seem to know about what she's dealing with here, and what to do to fight it. It's hard for me to explain my (admittedly, often profoundly mixed) reaction to all this, except to say that "we stand on the the shoulders of giants." The experiences of all those women who have gone before her, both those who have survived, and those who have not, have paved the way for a course of treatment that can be seen by my sister as a road to good health. I can't help feeling like we're surrounded by a special goodness -- grace, really -- that makes health and healing a realistic hope and not merely something you tell yourself in a vain effort to feel better. That's pretty powerful stuff.

I know I hardly need to ask, but your prayers are powerful, too. Please remember my sister, and the long road of treatment she has ahead of her, in your prayers. As the next year unfolds, there are bound to be many highs and lows along the way, certainly for her, but also for those of us who so dearly love her; and it would mean so much to have your prayers to buoy her -- and all of us -- up.

Welcome to My Blog!

We are a Catholic homeschooling family of 7, a blend of step children, bio children and adoptees, making our way to heaven the best way we know how! Here's a record of our journey, with thoughts on anything we care about--mostly homeschooling, faith and finding a way to make it all work for each of us. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your visit!